Police in Mangochi have arrested a 53-year-old man for raping his 12-year-old biological daughter.
Mangochi Police Station Publicist Sub Inspector Amina Tepani Daudi has identified the suspect as Edson Chidzokombwe.
The sexual abuse happened on the afternoon of August 7, 2021 in the area of Traditional Authority Chilipa.
According to Daudi, on that day, one of the victim’s relatives saw Chidzokombwe dragging the child into a bush. The relative followed them in the bush after being suspicious with the man’s actions and he caught the suspect red-handed sexually abusing the victim.
“The matter was reported at Chilipa Police Unit where the victim was issued with a referral letter and results from Chilipa Health Centre has confirmed the victim was defiled,” said Daudi.
The suspect will appear before court to answer the charge of defilement of a girl under the age of 16 which contravenes section 138 of the Penal Code.
Chidzokombwe hails from Gabriel Village in the area of Traditional Authority Chilipa in Mangochi.
In a related issue, a 41-year-old local farmer identified as Kasusu Lephat has committed suicide by hanging himself in a tree in Mangochi after he was caught raping his stepdaughter.
On the evening of August 7, 2021, Lephat was caught red-handed by his wife raping his 8-year-old stepdaughter in the bathroom.
After the woman said she would report the matter to police, Lephat run away and was later found him hanging in a mango tree at a nearby village.
Mangochi Police Publicist, Amina Tepani Daudi says the matter was reported at Chimwala Police Unit where police officers rushed to the scene and took the dead body to Chimwala Health Centre where postmortem indicated suffocation as the cause of death.
Lephat hailed from Changali village, Traditional Authority Chimwala in Mangochi.
According to Daudi, Mangochi Police Station has recorded 9 cases of defilement between July and August this year.
